


nothing like the tales

by kiyala



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Courfeyrac is a dragon, Dragons, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-06 17:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3142016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Combeferre is exploring the mountains in search of rare plants when he comes across a dragon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nothing like the tales

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [embroideredcupcake](http://embroideredcupcake.tumblr.com/)'s prompt: Combeferre has been traveling, searching for rare plants in the mountains. He comes across a hidden cavern in the side of a mountain. Inside it is a hoard of shinies, and an excitable but lonely dragon called Courfeyrac.

Combeferre is lost. Completely and utterly lost, somewhere between the mountains. He set off in the morning and while he still has plenty of food and water to tide him over, he isn't even quite sure which direction he came from and he can't see anything except for the mountains around him. He must have been so busy examining the flora and fauna that he came across that he'd forgotten to keep track of where he was going. He sighs heavily, his shoulders slumping with frustration. He should have a compass in his pack. The mountains are west of the town he's currently staying in, so he supposes that as long as he goes east, he should eventually find his way back.

At least he has plenty of plant samples. Even if he _has_ gotten himself hopelessly lost, he's already considering the day a success.

He looks up at the peak of the mountain he's currently climbing. It's tall, and he supposes that he doesn't need to climb the entire way to the top to get a good look around and try to reorient himself. Getting a visual on his surroundings is probably more helpful than simply heading east and he's climbed plenty of mountains in the past. He has his best hiking boots on, and these mountains are fairly easy to climb anyway.

Combeferre doesn't notice the cave until he nearly walks right past it. He stops immediately and frowns, turning around. There are large boulders against the side of the mountain and the shadow they cast is deep but unremarkable. On second glance, it isn't a shadow at all, but the mouth to a cave. The boulders are positioned so that they're easy enough to walk between, to enter the cave. Combeferre stands at its mouth for a moment, hesitating. This isn't going to help him find his way at all, but this is the first cave he's found in the mountains and surely he'll find some interesting plants here. He has his torch in his pack, so all he needs to do is take it out and—

He hears a clink, coming from inside the cave. He walks inside without another thought, curiosity overtaking his common sense. He nearly walks into a rock wall, blinking in surprise before realising that the entrance of the cave is actually a sharp turn. The actual entrance is around the corner and this can't possibly be a natural formation. It must have been made by somebody and Combeferre rounds the corner, eager to find out _who_.

Only, it turns out, his question is really _what_.

He comes face to face with a dragon. An actual, living, breathing dragon that cocks its head and blinks its large yellow eyes at him. It's sitting on a pile of treasure and there are torches in brackets on the wall, keeping the entire place well-lit. 

"Oh," the dragon says, its voice pitched a little higher than Combeferre's. "It's a visitor! It's been a very long time since I've had a visitor! I actually think—you know, I don't think I've ever had a visitor before!"

"Uh…" Combeferre begins, but before he can continue, the dragon is scrambling off its seat and towards him. Combeferre freezes up, but once the dragon is in front of him, he realises that it isn't very big. It seems more a large snake, with blunt horns protruding from its head, a long body and leathery wings that are tucked against its sides. Its feet are clawed, with long toes for gripping and it coils on itself, bringing it up to Combeferre's eye level.

"You smell like the mountains," the dragon tells him. "Are you lost? What's your name? Why are you in the mountains? Do you have anything made of copper, by any chance?"

"I, uh, have a few coins that are made of a copper-nickel alloy?" Combeferre digs into his pockets, pulling some out and offering them to the dragon. "I'm lost, yes, because I was exploring these mountains and searching for rare plants. My name is Combeferre. I think that answers all your questions?"

"Hmmmmm," the dragon hums, carefully picking up the coins and examining them closely, holding them up to one eye and then the other. "Why are you interested in the plants, Combeferre? They don't even taste nice."

"I think that they might have some medicinal properties," he replies. "Medicinal plants rarely taste pleasant. What… uh, what's your name?"

"Courfeyrac," the dragon tells him. It taps its claws against the coins. "These are very shiny, Combeferre, do you need them? I find that the shinier something is, the more humans tend to need it."

Combeferre laughs quietly. "You can keep them. It's not a lot of money anyway. You seem to appreciate the coins more than I ever have."

"Part of being a dragon, I suppose," Courfeyrac replies. "I've liked shiny things since I was a little boy. What did you like when you were little?"

Combeferre shrugs. "Bugs."

Courfeyrac makes a face. "They don't taste nice either."

"I never ate them," Combeferre replies. "Not since I got in trouble for trying the first time, anyway. I was very young. I didn't know better."

"Well, now you do," Courfeyrac says sagely. "Bugs. Awful things. I prefer sparrows, or bats."

"Can't say I've tried either of them," Combeferre smiles. "You know, dragons in our stories are usually not quite so small, or friendly."

"And humans in _our_ stories are usually shinier. They clink when they walk, and they usually shout a lot." Courfeyrac sighs. "My mother has a suit of armour that she won as a trophy for beating a human, once. It was so shiny, you could see your own face in it. I loved it."

Combeferre isn't sure whether to be amused or horrified, deciding to settle on a mixture of both. Courfeyrac must notice, because his eyes go wide. 

"Oh! Not that I'm going to beat you for any trophies. You're nice. You gave me shiny coins. You're my friend now."

"Friend?" Combeferre asks with mild surprise. 

"You're nice," Courfeyrac repeats, like that explains everything, like it doesn't matter that he's a dragon, that Combeferre didn't even know his kind _existed_ until a few minutes ago.

"Okay," he sighs. "Friends, then."

"As your friend," Courfeyrac declares, "I'm officially giving you an open invitation to visit me whenever you like. I'm not sure if I'd like you to bring your friends over too, though…"

"Maybe for now, I won't tell them about you," Combeferre suggests. "You're wonderful, and I'm sure that they'd like you too, but I might save introductions for… later."

Courfeyrac nods in understanding. "But you _will_ visit me, won't you?"

"Of course. I'm staying in a town nearby for a while anyway, doing some research. I should have some time to drop by." Combeferre frowns a little. "I mean, assuming that I find my way back there."

"I know these mountains better than anyone," Courfeyrac says, puffing his chest out proudly. "I could help you. I think I know which town you're talking about, because I see their lights when I'm hunting at night. I could walk you there, if you'd like. Maybe you could invite me to _your_ house."

"I…" Combeferre blinks. "I'm not sure a dragon will fit inside my house, to be entirely honest. Even if you are small. Besides, the other humans might get frightened."

"I don't have to look like a _dragon_ ," Courfeyrac laughs, like it's a ridiculous thought. "I can change shapes, you know. There's a fancy word my mother uses for it…"

"Shape shifting?" Combeferre asks, and Courfeyrac's expression lights up with wonder.

"You're so _clever_ ," Courfeyrac tells him. "Making medicine out of plants. Helping me remember words. You're nothing like I imagined a human would be."

Combeferre feels his face grow warm at the praise. "What shape will you shift into?" 

"I could try a human. I've never tried that before. You might want to step back a little."

Combeferre does, shielding his eyes from the sudden light as Courfeyrac's body begins to glow. Then, a moment later, there's a man standing in his place, his skin a lighter brown than Combeferre's, with brown, curling hair and big brown eyes.

"You aren't wearing any clothes," Combeferre says, covering his eyes again. "And that is _not_ what a human penis looks like."

"Oh. I wasn't sure, so…" Courfeyrac hums in thought. "Can I see—?"

"No." Combeferre opens his eyes again and shrugs out of his jacket, wrapping it around Courfeyrac's shoulders. "There you go."

Courfeyrac blinks at him, clearly confused. "I wasn't wearing any clothes before either, you know."

Combeferre sighs. "Humans are weird. They like wearing clothes."

"Are the people in the town going to feel uncomfortable if I'm just wearing a coat?" Courfeyrac asks.

"Probably." Combeferre hums in thought. "I could… bring spare clothes with me, the next time that I come to visit? Then you could come back to town with me, and I could invite you to my house."

It's clear that Courfeyrac wants to come with him now, but he finally nods. "Okay. I'll walk you as far as I can before anyone else sees me. You promise you'll definitely come back?"

Combeferre smiles. "I promise."

"Okay." Courfeyrac takes the jacket off again and hands it back to Combeferre. "I'll change back into my normal form, but before I do—I wanted to try something. Don't freak out?"

"What do you—" Combeferre begins, before Courfeyrac leans up and presses their lips together. It's light, brief, and Combeferre is still processing it as Courfeyrac changes back into a dragon. He blinks at Courfeyrac and finally manages to croak, " _Ask_ first."

"Oh." Courfeyrac looks contrite. "I'm sorry."

"A dragon just kissed me," Combeferre realises quietly, his eyes going wide.

"I told you not to freak out," Courfeyrac says, sounding much calmer than Combeferre feels. "I thought humans kissed a lot. It's in all the stories my mother told me. If a human likes another one, then they kiss. I like you, Combeferre."

"It's a little more complicated than that," Combeferre replies weakly. "…I like you too, but, well. Kissing is—complicated, okay?"

" _Ask first_ ," Courfeyrac intones seriously, nodding. 

They walk out of the cave, matching each other's pace. True to his word, Courfeyrac knows the mountains well, not even having to look where he's going before he guides Combeferre down one path and then joins another. 

"You follow this path all the way down," Courfeyrac tells him, stopping by a boulder. "It won't take you long to get back to the town. And then when you come to visit me again, remember this boulder here, then walk along that path, before you join the path that leads to my cave. If you get lost again, just knock on one of the boulders. I'll find you. Visit me soon, won't you? I won't kiss you again, if it's too complicated."

Combeferre laughs softly, reaching out to stroke the smooth scales in the small dip just where Courfeyrac's neck begins. Leaning into the touch, Courfeyrac lets out a low _purr_. 

"That," Courfeyrac tells him, sounding a little embarrassed, "is also a bit _complicated_ , I think."

"Oh." Combeferre snatches his hand away. "Sorry."

"I'll see you next time?" Courfeyrac asks, sounding so hopeful that Combeferre easily pushes away the awkwardness in favour of the fondness he already feels for the dragon.

"Definitely. I'll see if I can visit tomorrow afternoon, if that's not too soon?"

"Not too soon at all," Courfeyrac replies happily. "I'll see you then."

Combeferre walks home on his own, face burning as he tries not to think about kissing dragons or—making them purr. He has plants to study when he gets home. The rare plants that he was _certain_ he'd find here. It just so turns out that the plants aren't actually the most interesting things here.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic nearly ended up being called "that awkward moment when you have a crush on a dragon"


End file.
